Mail-box.



H. LKCARMONY.

MAIL B0X.

APPLIGATION FILED .TUNE 3, 1910.

Patented Aug. 30, 1910.

W/NESSES.' JWM MCA ATTORNEYS sraalrs i PATENT: OFFICE.

Banny E. 'cannoni or SHELBYVILLE, nvnriuraj` I vMAIL-BOX..

To all 'it may @moana Be it known 'that I, HARRYE.' CARMoNr,

' a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Shelbyville, in the county of Shelby and State of Indiana, have made 'certainnew and useful Improvementsin Mail-Boxes, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention is an limprovement'in mail boxes, and consists -incertain novel constructions-and combinations of parts, hereinafter described and claimed. g l

The object of the invention is to provide a 4signaling device for mail boxes of lthe rural free delivery type, wherein the insertion of mail into the box will display a signal automatically.

Referring to "the drawings forming a part hereof, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the box, Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2`2 ot'vFig. l looking in V thedirection of the arrows, Fig. 3 is a perspective view looking from below'of the-false bottom, and

Fig. 4 is a similar view of the bracket for -supporting the bottom.

In the embodiment of the invention shown, the box consists offa bottom 1, ends 2 and 2a, and an integral cover plate forming'an arched top 3 and. sides 4, and connected to the bottom at the 'sidel edges thereof, by means of a pocket 5 at each side edge of the plate, which is engaged by a lateral flange 6 on the adjacent edge of thel bottom.

The rear end21 is provided with an overlying flange 7 at its sides and top, which is received in a pocket 8 at the end of the cover plate, and the front end 2a is provided at its sides and top with a laterallybent pocket 9, which receivesthe adjacent end 10 of the cover plate. The bottom edge of the rear end' 2a extends below the bottom at 11,

and the bottom edge Vof the front end 2 is beadedat 12, to receive a rod'l3, which is connected -at its en ds'tothe' sides 4 of the cover plate.

The pocket 9 receives the edge 10 of the 'cover loosely, and the rod 13 and bead l2 forms a hinge connection, so Vthat the front end may turn down in the J.manner of a door. vThe door is normally retained in closed position,'by a latch 14, lsecured to the innersurface of the top 3, and extending through an opening 15 of the door into engagement with a linger-piece 16 riveted to the door at 17.

The latch 141 is resilient, and is provided with a transverse depresslon which engages f specicatioifo Letters-Patent. Patented Aug, 30, 1910. Application ned June s, 191e. seriaiNo. 564,81'9.

the edge of the opening 15, when the door is closed. to hold it closed, and the latch is re- ,leased'by the inger-piece 16, which is.pro vided. with an opening 19, t-hrough wh1c.h Athe latch passes. When the finger-piece is depressed, the latch is also'depressed, thus disengaging the depression from the edge of the opening, and the iinger-piece acts also as a means for handling the door.`

The false bottom consists of a plate 20, having its sideedges flanged upwardly -at 21, and the plate lits closely between vthe side walls of the box, but loose enough to permit it to move freely. .At its frontend the plateis provided'withl a central notch 22.

and below the notch a tiag or signal is* supported, on the end of a rod-24, which is provided with an oiifset portion 4 Zfsecured to the bottom ofthe plate; s

Tle flag or signal .providedwithl an overlapping Harige 26, between which and the body portion the' rod passes, and the bottom 1 of the box` issltted at.27 to'per-4 y -mit the passage of the flag.' 'Near itsl rear end a' shaft 28 is arranged transversely ofA the plate, the `ends thereof .being Vprovided withknife edges 29 and: on theoppo'site side 1 A.

of the shaft fromthe flag, a yoke y,'30 extends" from the. plate, the arms 31 ofthe yoke be.

ing securedto the plate.- 1 The body portion of theyoke is provided with a centrally projecting threaded stein 32, and a weight 33 -in the form-of a-nut having a milled periphery 34:v is threaded onto The wire is bent to form a. transverse bar- 35, the endsbeing bent forwardly at 36 sub stantially parallel with each other, thence- D downwardly and upwardlyA toform bear- .ings 37 for receiving the ends of the shaft,

thence laterally at 38 at approximately arighi angle to the portions 36,

'90 the stem. The weight may be turned toward and thence inwardly at 39 to form feet. 5

The feet 39 and the bar 35 rest on'th bottom oi'- the box, and the angle of the portions 38 and 36 with respect to eachother may be varied toraise or lower the plate: The weight is of sufficient size to balance vthe plate, and to hold the falsebottom normally in the full line 'position' of Fig. 1, Vhcn,

however, mail. is placed on the plate 20, the

`weight will be overbalanced, the false bottom -thingvin the box.

Aof' the bottom cut away to forni the slot 27 is bentupwardly to form a stop 40 for limiting the downward movement of the plate.

The flag 23 is of sufficient size to attract attention, and is supported somewhat below the plate by the offset of the rod, sothat the greater lportion thereof will pass through .the slot when the plate is depressed.

A n arched plate ttl is supported at the V front end of the box at the top, beneath the body of the catch 14, and the plate and the catch are held in place by a rod Ll2, in the form of a staple, the body portion ofthe rod being outside of the box, and the ends are assed through o eninO's 1n the box to 3 and e P :s l

'in the catch, and clenched as shown at 43 on the inside.

A coil spring Je is arranged between the ends of the plate, being` held in horizontal position, transversely of the box, and the said spring is adapted to hold coins, the coins being inserted between the coils. Ithe coins are thus held safely above the false bottom, and cannot fall out of the box.

The device may be easily applied to existing end opening boxes, merely by forming the slot 2T, and inserting the plate al. The construction is otherwise the same. The bracket for suprorting the false bottom is merely laid in p 1e, the false bottom being of-suitable length and width to prevent dislocation of the bracket.

lt Will be @vident that the inlirm'ellllii.

may be applied to boxes of any kind, since its operation is not dependent upon the forni of the box, the device being in fact entirely independentof theV box. It is, however, best suited for use with the form of box shown.

I claim:

l. A device of the character specified, comprising a false bottom adapted to be inserted in a inaill box, said bottom consisting of a plate, a shaft secured transversely of the' plate at one end thereof, a yoke having its arms connected with the shaft, and extendj ing in the opposite direction from the plate, the body of the yoke having projecting .therefrom a threaded stem, a weightthreadadaptelfto rest upon the bottom of the box and havinga bearing for each end of the shaft, a yoke connect-ed with the shaft and extending in the opposite direction from the bottom, and a counterweight connected with the yoke and adjustable thereon, said bottom having` at the opposite end from the shaft a signal depending below the plate.

HARRY E. CARMONY.

Vitiiesscsz v i lsxao CARTER, J. Ost 1.\ e HALL. 

